ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — a company
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. firm — decided
  6. net — in sport
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. net — for catching
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. firm — steady
  22. pit — in a race
  23. net — after costs
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com